Car replacer



Aprll 22, 1952 H. M. ALDERMAN 2,593,956

CAR REPLACER Filed Feb. 6, 1945 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 April 1952 H. M. ALDERMAN 2,593,956

CAR REPLACER Filed Feb. 6, 1945 2 SI-IEETS-Sl-IEET 2 awe/rm Patented Apr. 22, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CAR REPLACER Harry M. Alderman, Chicago, 111.

Application February 6, 1945, Serial No. 576,418

' This invention relates to car replacers, and more particularly to an improved holding device for securing a car replacing frog in position adja cent a track rail.

It has heretofore been proposed to secure car replacing frogs in position by means of a fastening device or clamp extending beneath the rail and engaging the rail flange. If, however, the rails are laid on or embedded in concrete or the like, or if the track is covered with snow and ice, it is frequently difficult or impossible to insert such a fastening device beneath the rail.

The general object of the present invention is, therefore, to provide an improved fastening or holding device which, instead of passing under the rail, is constructed to, engage and rest upon the top of the rail.

Furthermore, it has been the common practice heretofore, to construct the fastening devices separate from the frogs, so that the two parts have to be assembled in operative relation before they can be placed in position. It frequently happens, however, that, when an emergency arises, and the car replacer is needed for use, the

fastening device has become separated from the frog, and perhaps misplaced or lost, so that it cannot be found, thus causing great inconvenience and delay.

Another object of the invention, therefore, is to provide an improved construction in which the I fastening or holding device, while capable of independent movement, is always attached to or connected with the frog in such manner that it cannot become separated therefrom.

A still further object is to provide an improved fastening or holding device which shall be simple in construction, eillcient in operation, and capable of co-operating with rails of many different heights.

In order that the invention may be readily understood, reference is had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification and in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a single ended car replacing frog in position adjacent the inside of a rail and having one of my improved holding devices connected therewith.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section on an enlarged scale substantially on the line 22 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view. the section being taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional elevation taken substantially along the line 4--4 of Fig. 2. looking in the direction of the arrows.

5 Claims. (0]. 104-274) Fig. 5 is an inverted plan view of my improvedfastening or holding device itself, and

Fig. 6 is an end elevation of the device as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the frog and rail being omitted.

Referring to the drawings in detail, a track rail is shown at A supported upon the usual ties B and in Fig. l a single ended car replacing frog C is illustrated in operative position along the inside of the rail. This frog may be of any usual or desired construction. The exact details of this frog form no part of the present invention, except that, as shown in Fig. 2, the frog is a hollow structure, formed as by casting, and has a vertical wall 0 on the side next to the rail, and, at the upper end of this wall, an upper or top wall a portion of which is substantially horizontal in transverse section, and which serves to guide the flange of a wheel onto the head of the rail.

My improved fastening or holding device is designated in its entirety by D and comprises a hook-shaped member adapted to engage over the head of the rail. This member is formed with a shank I, having at its free end a downwardly extending portion 2, provided at its inner side with a wedge-shaped, sharp knife edge 3.

At the opposite end of the holding device the shank I is formed with an enlarged endor head 4 having arcuate sides 5. i

A vertically extending slot 6 is formed in the vertical wall 0 of the frog, and at the open upper end of this slot is-an enlarged opening G'b formed in the horizontal portion of the frog wall.

The slot 6 is somewhat wider than the shank 1, so that the latter may pass loosely through the slot, and the opening 61) is of such size and shape as to admit the enlarged end or head 4. Thus. the holding device may be inserted into the slot and opening in the frog vertically from above, until it occupies a position such as shown in Fig. 2, in which it rests upon the top of the rail.

The slot 6 is made of such length that the holding device may adjust itself to a rail of any height encountered in practice.

Inorder to prevent disengagement of the frog and. holding device, so that they will .be at all times assembled in operative relation, I place a cotter pin 1, or the like, horizontally through the enlarged head 4 of the holding device as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4. This cotter pin is of such length as to prevent the head 4 from pass,- ing upwardly through the opening or slot 6b and thus being removed.

As shown in Fig. 3, not only arethe sides of the enlarged head 4 made arcuate, as indicated at v'a, but the inner edges of the slot 6 are also preferably made arcuate or formed with a complementary concave surface 611. These co-operating arcuate surfaces permit the holding device to swing or pivot laterally with respect to the frog, so that it may assume an angular position to both the frog and rail, as shown in Fig. 1.

My invention is applicable either to frogs having a single inclined end, as shown in Fig. l, or to double frogs having an inclined surface at both ends. Either a single holding device or a pair of such devices may be employed as desired. If a pair of holding devices are employed, they will be spaced apart longitudinally of the frog a suitable distance at points adjacent the middle portion thereof.

In use, a car replacing frog, with my improved holding device connected therewith, is placed in position along side the rail with the shank extending substantially at right angles to the frog, as shown in Fig. 3. The spacing of the frog from the rail and the length of the shank are such as to bring the knife edge 3 into contact with the side of the rail head as shown at a in Fig. 2. A derailed wheel is indicated in dotted lines at E in Fig. 1, and when such a wheel is pulled toward the left as indicated by the arrow and engages the end of the frog, it will tend to shift the frog along toward the left. This will swing the fastening device or devices into an angular position, as shown in Fig. 1, and, due to this swinging movement, the frog will be drawn into close contact with the rail. The greater the force tending to move or displace the frog endwise, the more strongly will the knife edge 3 be forced against the rail head and, being preferably formed of hardened metal, will bite in sufficiently to prevent slipping. Thus, the holding device firmly grips the rail and effectively anchors the frog in position.

In order to carry the wheel tread over the holding device in Fig. 1, I provide the holding device, at a point intermediate its ends, with an elongated bridge portion 8. This lies flat upon and extends longitudinally of the rail head and, as shown in Fig. 6,'is provided with tapered ends to upon which the wheel may easily roll. Since the holding device, when in use, shifts to a position at an angle to the rail, as shown in Fig. 1, it is desirable to bevel off the ends of the bridge portion 8 adjacent the knife edge 3, as indicated at 81) in Figs. 8 and 5, in order to prevent the ends from projecting over the edge of the rail head on the side occupied by the wheel flange.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that I have provided a holding device which can simply be placed over the rail head and which is capable of both vertical-and pivotal movement with respect to the frog. The vertical movement permits the holding device to adjust itself to rails of any height, while the pivotal movement serves to cause the knife edge to bite into and firmly grip the rail head upon slight longitudinal displacement of the frog. It will also be seen that while the holding device is freely movable with respect to the frog, it is nevertheless prevented by the pin 1 from becoming separated therefrom, so that the frog and holding device are assembled in operative relation at all times, and ready for instant use.

What I claim is: I

1. A car replacer having means for guiding a wheel flange into engagement with the head of a rail, said replacer comprising a hollow frog having a vertical wall adapted to be disposed along side a rail substantially parallel therewith, and provided with a vertical slot having an open upper end, and a holding device constructed to engage over the head of the rail and having a shank passing loosely through said slot, said shank having an enlarged end incapable of passing through said slot, the sides of said enlarged end adjacent the inside of said slot being arcuate, whereby said holding device may swing laterally in a horizontal plane, and may also move vertically in said slot.

2. A car replacer having means for guiding a wheel flange into engagement with the head of a rail, said replacer comprising a hollow frog having a vertical wall adapted to be disposed alongside a rail, said frog being free to move longitudinally and said wall provided with a vertical slot having an open upper end, and a holding device constructed to engage over the head of the rail and having a vertically disposed knife edge adapted to bite into the side of the rail head opposite said frog, said holding device having a shank passing loosely through said slot, said shank having an enlarged end incapable of passing through said slot, the sides of said enlarged end adjacent the inside of said slot being arcuate, whereby said holding device may swing laterally in a horizontal plane when said frog moves longitudinally.

3. A car replacer having means for guiding a wheel flange into engagement with the head of a rail, said replacer comprising a hollow frog having a vertical wall adapted to be disposed along side a rail, substantially parallel therewith, and provided with a vertical slot having an open upper end, and a holding device constructed to engage over the head of the rail and having a shank passing loosely through said slot, said shank having an enlarged end incapable of passing through said slot, the sides of said enlarged end, and the inside edges of said slot, being formed with co-operating arcuate surfaces.

l. A car replacer having means for guiding a wheel flange into engagement with the head of a rail, said replacer comprising a hollow frog having a vertical wall adapted to be disposed along side a rail, and provided with a vertical slot having an open upper end, and a holding device constructed to engage over the head of the rail and having a shank insertable into the open upper end of said slot and passing loosely through said slot, said shank having an enlarged end incapable of passing through said slot, and said shank being movable vertically in said slot, and fastening means for preventing the removal of said shank from the open upper end of said slot.

5. A car replacer comprising a hollow frog having a transversely horizontal upper wall portion at least as high as the head of a rail and a vertical Wall joined therewith and adapted to be disposed along side a rail, said vertical wall and horizontal wall portion'being formed with a vertically extending slot, and a holding device constructed to engage over the head of the rail and having a shank with an enlarged end, said shank being narrower than the width of the slot in said vertical wall and passing loosely through the same and the slot in said horizontal portion of the frog being of such ,shape and size that the enlarged end of the shank may be inserted vertically therethrough, and means for preventin said enlarged end from being removed from said slot, whereby the frog and holding device are Number inseparable, but relatively movable. 632,477 HARRY M. ALDERMAN. 903,115 914,070 REFERENCES CITED 5 1,001,213 The following references are of record in the 1,068,953 file of this 'patent: UNITED STATES PATENTS 1305.625 Number Name Date 2,242,896 306,373 Yothers Oct. '7, 1884 2,291,181

6 Name Date Tilden Sept. 5, 1899 Sullivan Nov. 3, 1908 Pluard Mar. 2, 1909 Moynihan Aug. 22, 1911 Ward July 29, 1913 Moynihan Mar. 16, 1915 Larkin Feb. 20, 1917 Smith June 3, 1919 Sawdy May 20, 1941 Alderman July 28, 1942 

